Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

DBA

College

Chambers College of Business and Economics

Department

Management

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Houghton

Committee Member

Ryan Angus

Committee Member

Xiaoxiao Hu

Committee Member

Ronda Smith

Abstract

Career advancement in many professions requires employees to move beyond a single specialized role and perform effectively across different responsibilities. These complex jobs often combine technical work, project oversight, client interaction, financial accountability, and coordination with others. Successfully managing these overlapping responsibilities requires strong occupational self-efficacy, but not much is known about the factors that shape employees’ confidence in their ability to perform in complex jobs, particularly under role stress. This study uses cross-sectional survey data from 132 full-time professionals working in complex, multi-role jobs across a range of industries to examine how cognitive flexibility, role stressors, and job demands relate to occupational self-efficacy. Drawing on social cognitive theory and the job demands-resources framework, the study tests a moderated mediation model in which cognitive flexibility is associated with occupational self-efficacy through role stressors, with role segmentation preference and unnecessary tasks examined as moderators. Results indicate that cognitive flexibility is positively associated with occupational self-efficacy and is linked to lower role stressors, while certain role stressors are negatively related to occupational self-efficacy. The hypothesized moderated mediation effects were not supported, as the interaction effects did not operate as expected. However, additional findings suggest that role segmentation preference is related to role stressors in ways that differ from initial expectations, highlighting a more complex relationship between role boundary preferences and work demands. Results indicate that cognitive flexibility plays a meaningful role in supporting employee confidence in complex jobs, both directly and through its relationship with role stressors. The results also indicate that role boundary preferences and job demands may influence how employees experience role stress in ways that are not fully captured by existing assumptions. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how individual capabilities and work conditions shape occupational self-efficacy, and they offer practical direction for organizations seeking to support employees in cognitively demanding, multi-role positions.

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